Almost Here
by stirringofmysoul
Summary: First comes love...then comes marriage...then comes the rest...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"I can't look. You do it," Sydney said as the thrust the pregnancy test she had clutched in her hands into Jill's chest.

"Oof," Jill mumbled as the cardboard bumped against her. She scrambled to keep it within her grasp. "Sydney, you haven't even opened the box yet. There's nothing to look at." She slid her finger across the edge to pop it open.

"It's smaller than I thought," Sydney said randomly as she eyed the test in Jill's palm.

Jill raised an eyebrow. "What exactly were you expecting?" she asked her.

"A pregnancy test reveals something really significant…I expected more," Sydney tried to explain.

Jill turned the stick over in her hand. "It looks about normal to me," she mused.

Now it was Sydney's turn to raise her eyebrow. "Have you had a lot of experience with them?" she asked curiously.

Jill raised her gaze from her palm up to Sydney. "We're talking about you here, not me," she reminded her. She took the test and placed it into Sydney's hand, folding her fingers around it.

Sydney stared at the piece of plastic like it was some alien science project. She looked up helplessly at Jill.

"Syd, I love you…you know I'd do anything for you, but I cannot physically pee on it for you," Jill said gently. With a small (but firm) push she guided Sydney into the bathroom and shut the door, essentially trapping her in the small room.

Sydney sat down on the edge of the tub tossing the test from one palm to the other. How had this happened? Well, she knew HOW it happened… (It was those damn eyes. Those beautiful green orbs that a girl could get lost in forever. And that hair. Dark as onyx and so easy to run your fingers through…like silk. The way he spoke to her…took care of her…looked at her.)

The mission requiring their little rag tag group to protect Jill had ended nearly eight years ago. The princess was safe now and no longer needed the constant supervision (aside from a regular guardian) that had been required in Palm Springs. Everyone was free to resume their normal lives.

Escaping from and then bringing down the Alchemist organization left Sydney with few friends from her past. Adrian assured her she could return to Court with him and the others. And as much as she wanted to be with Adrian (their time apart had nearly killed them both) she needed to get away from the world of Moroi, Dhampirs, and Strigoi for a while.

Sydney enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania to study Art History. She and Adrian where still close enough (geographic wise) that they saw each other every weekend. Sydney flourished during her time at the university and earned her B.A. in three and a half years.

Upon graduation she was ready to tell Adrian she wanted to move back to Court with him when he beat her to the punch (of course) and proposed. The wedding was a small affair with only Sydney's mother, older sister, and the pair's friends in attendance. But the size of the event didn't matter; the only thing that mattered to Sydney was being with Adrian forever.

Adjusting to life at Court took a little time, but now Sydney couldn't imagine being anywhere else. She put her degree to good use by working at one of the several libraries on the premises while Adrian worked as a painter, doing commissions for wealthy families.

Everything had been perfect until Adrian started bringing up the idea of starting a family. Sydney had let go of her body image issues so it wasn't that she didn't want to gain weight…but having a Dhampir baby (with the possibility he/she would be attuned to magic) scared her beyond words. Of course the Moroi would want the child to start training as soon as he/she could. The offspring would be a valuable guardian.

"I don't hear anything in there," Jill's voice carried through the door.

Sydney was so startled she slipped off the edge and onto the floor. "Ouch," she whined before righting herself and taking a deep breath. She quickly wiggled her pants and panties down before hovering over the toilet seat.

Here goes nothing.

Once Sydney had finished she set the test on the counter and opened the door. She gave Jill a weak smile before collapsing into her arms.

Jill rubbed her back gently. "You know whatever happens you'll be okay, right?" she said softly.

That was easy for Jill to say…all her babies would be Dragomir royalty. "Yeah, I know," Sydney said. She stepped back from her friend and leaned against the doorjamb. "It's supposed to take three minutes."

Jill nodded and set the timer on her phone. Three minutes felt like three years. The girls stood there quietly until the alarm sounded. "Do you still want me to look?" she asked Sydney.

"No, I should be the one to do it," Sydney said. She came away from the piece of wall holding her up and stepped into the bathroom. She gave Jill one last look before picking up the test.

Little blue plus sign.

With shaky hands and wobbly knees Sydney felt the test slip from her hand and into the sink.

Jill was right there to steady her (in more ways than one). "You know these things aren't always accurate," she said. "We can get you to the doctor and he'll do a blood test. It might be nothing," she said.

Sydney shook her head as Jill helped her sit down the now closed toilet seat. "It's not nothing," she said once she caught her breath.

"What are you going to do?" Jill asked.

Sydney was good with facts and figures. Those things were easy to handle. Maybe if she thought of the baby like that she'd be okay. She looked up at Jill and replied, "Research."


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for all the love!_

Chapter Two

Like any good researcher, Sydney completely threw herself into the subjects of pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing. There was tons of information in both print and digital form for her to devour.

Adrian was always good about letting Sydney pursue her passions with few questions asked, but when he walked home one evening and found her crying on the couch, (she had just finished a very emotional episode of A Baby Story) he knew something was going on.

"I'm pregnant," she told him in between sniffles.

"Pregnant?" Adrian repeated as if the word sounded foreign to his ear.

Sydney nodded her head yes as he just looked at her. "I was going to wait until I finished my power point presentation to tell you, but yes…I'm pregnant," she said to him.

"Power point pres…how long have you known?" Adrian asked her.

Sydney blotted her eyes on the cuff of her sleeve. "About a week," she replied.

"You've known you were pregnant for a week and you're just deciding to tell me now…" Adrian said slowly.

"I told you…the power point presentation isn't ready," Sydney explained (as if that made all the sense in the world).

Adrian lowered himself down on the couch next to her. "Look at me," he said gently. Sydney obliged and saw that his eyes were rather shiny too. "We're having a baby…" he said as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close against him.

"Yes, Adrian…how many times do you want me to say it?" she asked him. What was he not understanding here?

"Sydney!" he exclaimed, pressing his lips against hers. "This is amazing…this is wonderful…why are you making a power point?" he asked between kisses.

She tried to respond, but was caught off by his lips capturing hers again. "There's so much we have to know, Adrian," she replied when she was able to speak. "I've been reading and researching as much information as I can get my hands on."

"We have to celebrate…tell people…is it too soon to tell people?" Adrian asked. "Does anyone else know? Are you feeling okay? Should we go to the doctor? Do I need to boil water?"

Sydney blinked a few times as Adrian rattled off query after query. "We should probably wait a few weeks before we tell anyone…Jill knows…I feel fine…I made a doctor's appointment…and not unless you're making pasta for dinner," she replied calmly (she was used to Adrian being a little manic).

"A baby," Adrian said. "Our baby." He paused for a moment. "How are you feeling about this?" he asked gently. It wasn't easy to forget all the arguments that they had over this very topic.

"Okay," Sydney said with a nod. "I mean the doctor will be able to tell me more…and I want to ask him about a diet and exercise program, but I feel pretty good about the topic."

"It's not really a topic, Sage…it's a baby," Adrian said to her.

Sydney sighed. "That's why I wished I had finished the research before I told you all this," she replied. "I'd be better prepared to answer your questions."

"The internet isn't going to tell you how to feel, sweetheart," Adrian said. He rubbed her shoulder gently with his hand.

"Can we talk about this later?" Sydney asked. "There's another episode of A Baby Story about to start and this one deals with a midwife. I think it's important to know all our options for delivery."

"Sure," he replied, releasing his arm from around her shoulder. "I'll go start on dinner."

"Thanks," Sydney said with a smile. She turned her attention back to the television.

Once Adrian was in the confines of the kitchen he dialed Jill on his cell.

"Okay, that was weird…even for Sydney," Jill commented. The Moroi had become a pro at blocking Adrian's thoughts, but sometimes (especially in emotional situations) she slipped in against her will.

"Thank you!" Adrian said with a sigh. "She's treating this like a school assignment." He leaned against the counter and rubbed his face.

"Maybe once she goes to the doctor and sees the little blob on the ultrasound she'll get more into it," Jill reasoned.

"Or…" Adrian said. "She'll freak out. To Sydney this baby isn't a person right now. Once she sees it as one I'm not sure what may happen."

"Or…" Jill countered. "She could totally fall in love with the baby and forget all the fears she had before."

"Those fears weren't totally unfounded," Adrian grumbled. "This unprecedented stuff for us, Jailbait."

"Unprecedented…yeah, being with Syd all this time has rubbed off on you," she teased him.

Adrian couldn't help but laugh. "Shut up," he replied.

"I know you wanted this and I think you're going to be a wonderful dad," she said, serious now.

"Ugh, why did you have to say dad…just wait until mine finds out about this," Adrian said with a groan.

"You don't have to tell him," Jill said.

"Oh, yeah…I'm sure he would just think Syd was carrying around a bowling ball under her shirt," Adrian said sarcastically. "And besides gossip spreads around here faster than it does on an episode of 90210."

"Okay, I could blame the big words on Sydney, but the shitty taste in television…that one is lost on me," Jill replied.

"And newsflash, Jailbailt…your theory of not telling your sister you and Eddie are hooking up isn't going to work either," Adrian said.

"You and Sydney are always quick to bring my life to the surface instead of focusing on your own," Jill said. "And we are not 'hooking up'…we're in a relationship," she clarified.

"Six…half a dozen…" Adrian replied. "The point is all of this is going to come out soon enough."

"But really, Adrian…congratulations," Jill said softly.

"Thanks," he replied. "Talk to you soon, yeah?"

"Not too soon if I can help it," Jill teased. "Bye."

With that Adrian ended the call. He set his phone down and wandered over to the fridge. He needed to focus on preparing dinner otherwise he'd just drive himself crazy.

"Sweetheart…what do you think about a water birth?" Sydney called from the other room. "I'm gonna order a dvd on it from Amazon."

Perhaps it was too late.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"There's just so much…stuff," Sydney said as she and Jill wandered through Target. She was armed with a registry gun in one hand and her ipad in the other.

"And it's all so cute!" Jill squealed as she held up a onesie with a cupcake on it.

Sydney laughed a little. "We're supposed to be looking for stuff…like a crib, high chair," she said.

"Oh my god…these shoes are smaller than my nose!" Jill exclaimed.

"I'm not so sure about picking out anything here," Sydney said.

"What's wrong with Target?" Jill asked.

"It's just this website I was looking at pointed out all the benefits of buying things from places that are more earth conscious…" Sydney started to say.

Jill snatched the ipad out of Sydney's hand. "No…no more internet…I'm cutting you off," she said. She stuffed the device in her purse.

Sydney sighed but decided not to start a fight in the middle of the store. "Adrian is painting a mural on the nursery wall," she said instead.

"Yeah, I know," Jill said as she took the registry gun from Sydney's hand and started adding items to the list.

"Of course, sometimes I forget about the bond," Sydney said.

Jill chuckled. "No, I mean…Adrian showed me his sketches," she explained to her.

"Oh, right," Sydney said with a shake of her head. "I'm glad you got good at blocking."

"Me too…especially lately," Jill replied. "Who knew pregnancy would agree with your sex drive so well," she said as she zapped another item.

"Jill!" Sydney exclaimed.

"I haven't witnessed anything! I just get little glimpses sometimes," she insisted. "But don't worry I lock it down quickly."

"I'm going to be stuck with you forever, aren't I?" Sydney said with a shake of her head.

"Everyone should be so lucky," Jill teased her.

"Speaking of forever…you, Eddie…any plans?" Sydney asked.

"That would require telling Lissa we're dating…" she pointed out.

"Lissa is like the the least royal royal there is…I'm sure she'd be okay with it," Sydney reasoned.

"Try and convince my boyfriend of that," Jill replied with a roll of her eyes.

Before Sydney could reply her phone buzzed with a text from Adrian. "Oh, boy…" she said as she looked at the message.

xxx

Just as Adrian predicted nothing stayed a secret for too long at Court. Mr. Ivashkov had found about the pregnancy (the doctor probably sold them out) and invited the pair over for dinner. Most people would think the intention behind this meal was celebratory, but Adrian knew better.

"Are you even listening to me?" Adrian asked as he fussed with his tie.

"You think your father is going to tell us to get rid of the baby," Sydney replied, her eyes still transfixed on her laptop's screen.

"That's not quite the language I used," Adrian replied.

"The baby can hear you…therefore I'm not repeating your colorful choice of words," she explained.

"All the static coming off that computer can't be good for the baby either," Adrian said, making up the theory on the spot.

That got her attention. "Where did you read that?" she asked him, looking up for the first time in about an hour.

Adrian waved his hand. "One of those parenting magazines you subscribed us to…I don't remember exactly," he said. "Will you help me with my tie?"

Sydney closed her laptop and rose up to her feet. "You're hopeless," she said with a playful sigh. She straightened his tie and set to work.

"I really don't want to go," Adrian said with a pout.

Sydney looked up at him when she finished. "Think of it this way…it can be as bad as a meal with my father would be," she replied.

"Okay, I'll give you that," Adrian said.

Sydney leaned up and pecked his lips gently. "Maybe he'll be happy for us," she said.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "You have met my father before…right?" he asked her.

Sydney nuzzled her nose against his. "Yes, that's how I know your good looks come from his side of the family," she murmured.

"Oh god…you did not just make a sexual comment about my father…" Adrian said.

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What time do we have to be there again?" she asked him.

Adrian rested his hands on her waist and gently rubbed his thumbs in small circles. "I think the second best thing about this pregnancy is your out of control libido," he teased her.

"What's the best thing?" she asked curiously. "Becoming a father?"

"Your breasts are huge," Adrian replied with a smirk.

Sydney groaned and took a step back from her husband. "Come on…let's get this show on the road."

Mr. Ivashkov lived clear across Court so the couple opted to drive. No matter how many times Sydney saw the estate she still couldn't get over the fact that Adrian had grown up there. It was so fancy…gaudy…not quite Adrian (well, maybe the over the top part).

After Sydney parked the car she and Adrian walked up to the front door hand in hand. Elise, Mr. Ivashkov's head maid, let them in and another maid (Sydney couldn't keep their names straight) took their coats while yet another maid guided them into the living room for drinks.

Mr. Ivashkov appeared to have a head start on the cocktail portion of the evening. "Sydney, Adrian…so good to see my son and daughter-in-law," he said, drink in hand.

"This alcohol must be top shelf," Adrian replied. "You've never willingly referred to me as your son."

Sydney elbowed him in the side. "Nice to see you too, sir," she replied (old habits die hard).

"Please have a seat," Mr. Ivashkov said. "Elliot will serve us." He gestured to the young man in the corner of the room.

"The strongest drink you can concoct for me and Sydney will have a glass of water," Adrian said. He looked over at his father. "We don't have to have social hour in here. Why don't we just get on to dinner?"

"It would be rude to start before all of my guests arrived," Mr. Ivashkov replied after taking a sip of his drink.

"Other guests?" Adrian asked him.

This was about to get ugly.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews!_

Chapter Four

"Paul Anders is on his way here," Mr. Ivashkov explained.

"Your lawyer?" Adrian asked in confusion. "Why was he invited?"

"Adrian…will you ever learn? You have to protect your assets," he said to his son. "Since it's too late for a prenup we'll have to be creative, but Paul can handle it."

"I'm sorry…but I think we're both confused, sir," Sydney said.

Mr. Ivashkov sighed, as if they were both trying his patience just by standing there. "As you are insisting on bringing this…abomination into the family I'd like all affairs to be in order," he said.

"What the hell did you just say?" Adrian growled before his father even finished his statement.

"Oh, please, Adrian…did you really think this was going to be some kind of party?" he asked. "Since it's too late for an abortion and no one wants to adopt some useless dhampir child I'm taking the proper precautions."

"Sydney…go get our coats," Adrian instructed her.

She grabbed for his hand. "We'll go together," she said to him. Leaving Adrian alone with his father was not going to end well.

"Sydney, please…" Adrian said, trying desperately (and failing) to keep his temper even.

Mr. Ivashkov sighed. "Adrian, aren't you too old for this theatrics?" he asked him.

"No one can stand being around you," Adrian said. "Aren't you tired of having no one in your life?"

Luckily for all parties involved Elise entered the room carrying Sydney and Adrian's coats. Sydney tugged on her husband's hand and they quickly escaped the house.

Once they were in the safety of the car Adrian started on a tirade. "Who does he think he is? An abomination? Who even talks like that?" he hissed.

"Adrian…" Sydney said slowly.

"I knew this was a bad idea…and you with the 'sir' business…what was that all about?" he continued.

"Adrian," she repeated.

"We're not letting him anywhere near the baby," he said to her. "Your mother can be the sole grandparent. At least she's sane. Well, she married your father, but she got out of that."

"ADRIAN!" she exclaimed.

"What?!" he demanded as he looked over at her.

"Something's wrong…" she said softly, her eyes fixed on the blood trickling down her leg.

xxx

"Do you need anything else?" Adrian asked Sydney.

She shook her head no. "I'm fine, thanks," she replied.

Adrian rushed Sydney to the hospital within seconds of her noticing the blood. She underwent a plethora of tests before she was released the next day. The baby was fine, but Sydney's blood pressure was higher than the doctor liked. She was ordered to take it easy, which Adrian decided meant total bed rest.

Adrian fussed around the room, messing with the blinds and fluffing Sydney's pillow within an inch of her life.

"Why don't you sit down…you're making me dizzy," she said to him.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized and sank down onto the mattress next to her.

They lay there quietly for a few moments before Sydney spoke up. "It's going to be okay. The doctor didn't seem overly concerned," she said softly.

"I know, but…I mean obviously that was scary for you, but…I mean there was nothing I could do for you," Adrian said with a sigh. "I hate feeling so helpless."

"It was out of my control too," Sydney reasoned. "And besides think of all the other times you saved my life." Adrian had been instrumental in breaking her out of the Alchemist stronghold and then the eventual downfall of the regime.

Adrian shrugged a little. "You could have done that all without me," he insisted.

Sydney rolled onto her side and stroked his cheek gently with her fingertips. "I always need you," she told him.

"For a minute I wasn't sure if you'd be upset if you lost the baby," Adrian admitted softly.

Sydney furrowed her brow. "How could you think that?" she asked him.

"You're treating this whole thing like a research paper or something," Adrian explained to her. "I'm not sure if you want to get an A plus or be a mother."

Sydney didn't say anything for a minute. She needed to choose her words carefully. "Babies aren't something that have clear cut answers," she said to him. "I like facts, certain truths…so I thought if I had all the answers maybe this wouldn't be so scary."

"Do you think I'm not scared?" he asked her.

"You wanted this…I figured you weren't as nervous as I was," Sydney said.

"Oh, sweetheart…I am terrified," Adrian said with a little laugh. "I haven't had the greatest examples of family."

"Me either," Sydney pointed out. "But maybe between the two of us we won't mess this kid up too badly." She chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Something is still wrong," Adrian said.

Sydney decided to leave out all her other fears about the baby having to be a guardian…as well as the magic stuff. She leaned over and kissed his cheek gently. "No…I'm okay. Is there anything else you want to tell me…ask me?" she asked.

"Actually yes…" he said as he slid his arm around her waist and rubbed her back gently. "What do you think of the name Caroline?"

"I think I have a book of names around here," she teased him.

"You have to promise me you're not going to read anything from now on," he replied.

"Anything ever?" she asked him.

"Okay, let's not be so extreme," Adrian replied. "I'll just give you a list."

"Do you want to find out if it's a boy or a girl?" she asked him.

"No way," Adrian said. "This is life's greatest surprise."

"But how can we plan?" Sydney replied.

"Oh, Sage…" he said with a mock sigh. "What am I going to do with you?"


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks for all the love!_

Chapter Five

The weekend after their baby shower Eddie came over one evening to help Adrian put together the crib and other furniture the baby had received.

"Where's your better half?" Sydney asked after Eddie walked inside.

Eddie shook his head. "Don't you start in on it too," he said to her as he shrugged out of his jacket.

"I think you've already proven more than once you're good enough for her," Sydney said. "Not that you needed to prove it in the first place."

"I thought I was here for manual labor…not a therapy session," Eddie joked.

"That advice is free of charge, don't worry," Sydney said with a chuckle. "Adrian's in the nursery."

Eddie nodded and walked down the hallway to join Adrian. Sydney grabbed a bottle of water and settled in on the couch. She flipped on an episode of A Baby Story. Adrian didn't want her reading and researching…he never said she couldn't get information by watching television.

About halfway through the episode Sydney heard some curse words floating out of the nursery. She paused the show and wandered down to check on the boys. "Everything okay in here?"

"Depends on your definition of okay," Eddie said as he tried to pry Adrian's hand out from between two bars on the side of the crib.

"There's a reason I don't do stuff like this," Adrian said.

"Because you're not very good at it?" Eddie guessed. "There you go," he said as Adrian's hand sprung free.

"I could have been killed…or at least maimed," Adrian said as he rolled his wrist in a circle.

"Yeah, it looked pretty dire," Sydney snorted. She sat down next to him and took his hand into hers.

"My hands are my livelihood," he reminded her as she ran her fingers over his palm and wrist.

"I thought your charming personality was," Sydney teased him.

"That just compliments my skill set," Adrian said.

"Done," Eddie said from behind them. He got up to his feet and dusted his hands off on his jeans.

Sydney and Adrian turned around and found Eddie standing next to a fully constructed crib. "Wow, thanks," Sydney said.

"Anything else I can do?" Eddie asked them.

"Maybe the changing table…if you don't mind," Sydney said to him.

"No problem," Eddie assured her and turned his attention to the task at hand.

"Come on, babe…let's get you some ice," Sydney said. Adrian followed her out of the nursery and into the kitchen.

"You just sit down. I can handle it," Adrian said. He opened up the freezer and grabbed an icepack.

"Um, okay," Sydney said, a little confused with her sudden dismissal. She went back into the living room and turned the television back on.

About a half an hour later Eddie emerged. "I think you're good to go," he said to her.

"Thank you again. We really appreciate it," Sydney said to him. They exchanged good-byes and he headed out.

Sydney turned off the television and went to look for her husband. "Babe?" she asked.

"I'm in here," he replied.

Sydney followed his voice to his art studio and walked inside before sitting down on the couch in the corner of the room. "Feeling inspired?" she asked him.

"Not exactly," he said before flopping down beside her. "I could have done that baby's stuff myself."

"Oh, I just thought it would be easier if you had some help," Sydney replied.

"Turns out I wasn't really much help," Adrian said.

"Is that why you're so grumpy…you wanted to do this yourself?" Sydney asked him.

"I'm not grumpy," Adrian insisted.

Sydney stifled a laugh. "Oh, my mistake," she teased him.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I just want to be able to take care of you and the baby without asking for help."

"You really have a hero complex," Sydney replied.

Adrian smiled a little bit. "I could think of worse things to have," he told her.

"Just because you don't know how to put together a crib doesn't mean you aren't a good provider," Sydney replied.

"How'd I get so lucky to find you?" he asked with a genuine smile now.

xxx

As much as Sydney didn't want to do this she knew she had to.

"I have an appointment with Mr. Ivashkov," Sydney said to the receptionist upon entering the office. "Sydney Ivashkov."

"I'll let him know you're here," she replied. "You can have a seat." She turned away from Sydney as she picked up the phone.

Sydney sat down on one of the couches and looked around the waiting room. It was kind of bleak in here. She tapped her fingers against the armrest. This is probably what kids waiting for the principal felt like.

"Sydney, come on in," Mr. Ivashkov said after materializing in the waiting room.

Sydney stood up and smiled. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," she said.

"I was rather surprised when you called," he said to her. "Where's Adrian?"

Sydney sat down on the opposite side of his large desk. "Adrian doesn't know I'm here," she said.

"Oh?" he asked curiously and handed her a bottle of water from his mini fridge.

"Thank you," she said and took the bottle. "I'd like this to stay between myself and you for now…if you don't mind."

"This is getting more and more interesting by the second," he said after taking a seat.

Sydney took a breath. "You weren't wrong when you said we needed to take precautions. I don't think the ones I have in mind are the same as yours, but nonetheless," she explained. "I'm sure you know about my…abilities," she said.

Mr. Ivashkov nodded. "I've heard certain things," he replied.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I don't know if they will transfer to the baby or not, but I'm worried that he or she might be tested or possibly even hurt in some way if I don't take precautions," she said to him.

"Yes, I could see that being a concern," he agreed.

"And I'm also nervous about the prospect of the child being forced into becoming a guardian…especially if he or she possess some kind of extraordinary ability," she added.

"So what exactly are you asking for?" he replied.

"Protection," Sydney said to him.

"And what does Adrian think about all of this?" he asked.

"As I said before I haven't mentioned this to him yet," Sydney explained. "I know you don't think much of me…or maybe this child, but I don't know what else to do."

"I'll take care of it," Mr. Ivashkov replied.

"You'll take care of it?" Sydney stammered.

"The guardian part might be a little harder since the child is going to be a Dhampir, but as for the testing and stuff…I can see to that," he said. "Is there anything else?"

"Oh, um…no, sir…thank you so much," Sydney said.

They exchanged good-byes and Sydney was on her way.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for all the love! It means the world to me._

Chapter Six

"Why are we here again?" Sydney asked Jill as they wandered through the art museum just outside the confines of Court.

"I can't believe you're complaining about being here," Jill replied with a snort. "You live for this kind of stuff."

"Yeah, I know, but I seriously feel like all I want to do is not move," Sydney explained with a chuckle.

"Didn't you tell me you read that moving around was good for inducing labor?" Jill asked.

"Shh, you know I'm not allowed to read," Sydney joked. "And besides this little guy needs to cook for a while longer."

Jill laughed. "Okay, come…let's sit down for a minute," she replied. They settled on a bench.

"All you said was you wanted to get away from Court for the day…you never said why," Sydney prompted her.

"Because I'm an idiot," Jill said to her with a sigh.

"Now I know that's not true," Sydney replied. She patted her arm gently.

"Oh, I beg to differ. I proposed to Eddie last night…needless to say his answer wasn't yes," Jill said.

Sydney's eyes grew wide. "You proposed?" she asked her.

"Shh, keep it down," Jill hissed. "I'm embarrassed enough already."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders.

Jill leaned in against her. "I thought maybe if I did the scary part we could just move forward. Now I don't know what to think," she replied.

"Maybe he just needs some time to process it…" Sydney offered.

"He's known what I wanted all along…he had plenty of time to process it," Jill said. "I think it's just time to move on."

"Really?" Sydney asked. It was hard to imagine Jill without Eddie and vice versa.

"I can't wait forever…" Jill said. "I want what you and Adrian have…I want a life like that."

xxx

Aside from some slight morning sickness the pregnancy was relatively smooth. Sydney got tired a lot more easily than she used to, but Adrian was a very good caretaker so she didn't have to worry about cooking, cleaning or anything like that.

When the end of her third trimester neared the doctor suggested she stop working and stay off her feet as much as possible until her due date. It was hard for her to stay put, but with Adrian keeping a close eye on her she did as the doctor ordered.

"Mail," Adrian said as he walked into the bedroom one afternoon.

"Is it sad that this is the highlight of my day now?" Sydney asked as she flipped through the pile he dropped in her lap.

"Only a little," he replied as sat down next to her. He dug his finger into the seal of a big brown envelope.

"That looks very official," she commented.

"It's from my dad's office," he said as he slid the papers out.

Sydney started to panic. "Who was it addressed to?" she asked.

"Both of us," he replied.

"Can I see it?" she asked, extending her hand for the envelope.

"This looks like a bunch of legal junk," he mused. "I can't believe he actually had his lawyer draw up this crap." She tried again for the envelope. "Sage, I'm trying to read this."

"I'd like to see it too," she said to him, an obvious edge to her tone.

But clearly he wasn't listening to her. "Wait, wait, wait…at the request of Sydney Ivashkov…" he read. He looked down at her. "You went to see my dad?"

"Yes, but it was for a good reason," Sydney insisted. She pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"I'd love to hear this," he said dryly. He dropped the papers onto the bed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"The baby needs protection," Sydney started to explain.

"And you and I can't do that?" Adrian asked her incredulously.

"Please don't interrupt me," Sydney said to him. She sighed. "Okay, I know I said I was fine, but…there's things I'm worried about." She rubbed her hand over her face.

Adrian frowned. "Things my dad can help you with? Sage, what are you talking about?" he asked.

"If the baby is like…me…" Sydney said softly. "Some people might want to try and hurt him or her. I don't want the baby to be a lab rat."

"Sydney, I would not let that happen," Adrian replied firmly.

"It might be out of your control," Sydney reasoned. This all made sense in her head. Why didn't he understand this? "That's why we need the protection. I know your father is a piece of work, but this is something he can help with. And he agreed to do it."

"I can't believe you went behind my back," Adrian spat. "What else am I in the dark about?"

Now that the floodgates were open…

"I'm also worried about the baby being forced to become a guardian. I know the numbers are low…and especially if the baby is a girl," Sydney added.

"How could you not talk to me about this stuff?" Adrian demanded. "This is OUR baby."

"I didn't know how to…I didn't want you to think…" Sydney stammered. It was hard to say out loud.

"Think what?!" he exclaimed.

"You already accused me of hoping I'd lose the baby. I didn't want you to think even less of me," Sydney said softly. She looked down at the comforter.

"Really, Sage? Really?" Adrian huffed. "You think that little of me…then you go to my father…" He got up off the bed and started to pace.

"You can't deny that you thought that! And it was all for a good reason," Sydney tried to insist.

"I need to get out of here," Adrian said to her.

"Where are you going?" Sydney asked.

"Away from you," he snapped. He grabbed the papers and shoved them back in the envelope before leaving the bedroom.

Sydney cringed when the front door slammed shut.

What had she done?


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows!_

Chapter Seven

Sydney immediately called Jill and asked her to check in on Adrian. Jill had witnessed bits and pieces of the fight so she was aware of what was going on. She assured Sydney that he was okay and was staying in one of the rooms in the castle.

"How did you know I was here?" Adrian asked Jill after he opened the door. She gave him a 'duh' look. "Oh, right."

Jill pushed passed him and sat down on the foot of the bed. "Want to tell me what happened?" she asked him.

"She went behind my back!" Adrian pointed out.

"She was scared," Jill replied. "Haven't you ever been scared?"

"Well, yeah…but still…she knows how I feel about my father," Adrian replied.

"And you seriously asked her if she wished she had lost the baby?" Jill asked.

Adrian frowned and sat down on the bed next to her. "Okay, that was shitty on my part, but she was acting so weird about everything," he tried to explain.

"I think you're both idiots," Jill told him. "You have this great life together and you're messing it up by being stubborn and not communicating."

"I'm not stubborn…okay, I'm really stubborn," he said. "But she's worse," he added quickly.

Jill rolled her eyes. "Am I going to have to lock you two in a room together?" she asked him.

Adrian sighed and rubbed his face. "No, I'll go home," he said to her. "How upset is she?" he asked as he splayed his fingers apart and looked at her

"I'd suggest ice cream as a peace offering," Jill said with a nod.

xxx

Adrian gave himself an hour to collect his thoughts before going back home with a carton of mocha flavored ice cream in hand. Sydney was in bed flipping through the tv channels at random. She looked up when he heard him walk in.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hi," she replied and turned off the television.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and set the ice cream on the nightstand. "I'm sorry about everything," he apologized.

"I know I should have talked to you about it, but I felt so…not like me," Sydney said to him. "I'm so used to having control of the situation."

"I didn't exactly make myself open to hearing your concerns," he replied with a sigh. "I didn't handle any of this very well myself."

"I just don't want anything bad to happen to the baby. I know I was never into the whole idea of having a baby, but now that it's happening I'd do anything to protect him or her," Sydney said.

"Maybe we should talk about these things from now on and not just stick our nose in a book or think the worst of each other," he said.

Sydney nodded her head. "That's a good plan. I like having a plan."

Adrian leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Anything else I can do for you?" he asked her.

"Lay down with me," she said and scooted over to give him some room.

Adrian shifted and wrapped his arm around her. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

Sydney smiled against his mouth as she returned the kiss. It was so easy to get lost in him.

"So I read that sex can induce labor," Adrian said as he mouthed along her jaw gently, his hand gliding along her side.

"Oh, so you can read but I can't?" she teased him as she tipped her head to the side.

"Yes, because I'm not an addict," he said as he rolled over and shifted on top of her (as best he could).

Sydney chuckled and smiled up at him. She ran her hand along his chest. "Then by all means," she said to him. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt with her fingers.

He shrugged out of his shirt and grasped the hem of hers under his finger and pulled it up and over her head. Once her top and bra were gone he dipped his head down and captured one of her nipples in his mouth. "You are so beautiful," he murmured softly against her skin.

"Oh god…" she gasped slowly as she arched up closer to him. It was hard to think let alone form a sentence right now.

Adrian suckled slowly, flicking his tongue out in between while he used his hand to unsnap the button her jeans.

Sydney wiggled underneath him as he stripped the clothes away from her body. "You have too many clothes on," she whined.

"Let's fix that then," Adrian said with a soft chuckle. He sat up a little as Sydney disrobed him. "Mmm you feel good," he murmured as her hands trailed over his now naked body.

Sydney slid her hands up along his sides and then around his neck, pulling him closer to her again. "I love you," she whispered against his mouth.

"I love you too," he whispered back as he gently pressed himself inside of her.

"Babe…" she whimpered as she tightened around him. No matter how long they were together she always felt like she couldn't get enough.

Adrian pressed his lips against her neck as he rocked deeper and deeper inside of her. Sydney closed her eyes and dug her fingernails into his back, desperate to be closer. She could never be close enough.

"Adrian!" she cried out once she felt him let go inside of her. She followed soon after before collapsing into the mattress.

They cuddled up next to each other, all sweaty bodies and tangled limbs. "Mmm," she said and nuzzled her nose against his chest. "What was in your hands when you walked in?" she asked.

"Oh, Jill said I should bring ice cream in case my apology wasn't enough," he said with a laugh. He gently threaded his fingers through long hair.

"What kind?" she asked, leaning up on her elbow.

"Mocha," he said. He leaned over and grabbed the carton and spoon.

"You should have led with that," she said as she dug in.


	8. Chapter 8

_All good things must come to an end…and we've reached the end of this story. Thank you for all your reviews, follows, and favorites. I appreciate each and every one of them!_

Chapter Eight

"Why are you squirming around like that?" Adrian asked Sydney.

"Because I'm so uncomfortable," Sydney groaned as she tried to stretch out on the couch.

"What hurts?" Adrian asked.

"What doesn't hurt is a better question," Sydney responded. She finally settled down and closed her eyes.

"Just like another week and everything will be over with," Adrian replied.

"I know it's for a good cause…it's just rough," Sydney said with a little pout.

Adrian leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. "You're so strong, sweetheart," he told her.

"Thank you…and thank you for being so patient about it," Sydney said after she kissed back.

Before Adrian could reply Sydney winced a little. "What was that face for?" he asked.

"Just this pain I've been feeling," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "What kind of pain?" he asked her.

"Like a contraction," Sydney explained.

Adrian's eyebrows shot up. "How long?" he asked.

"Since like the middle of last night," Sydney replied.

This got Adrian up and onto his feet in one fell swoop. "And you're just telling me this now?" he asked.

"The baby isn't due for another week," she pointed out, leaning up on her elbows.

"Sydney! The date isn't set in stone!" Adrian exclaimed.

"But the plan…" she protested.

"The plan? Seriously? I thought we were past all of this!" Adrian said. "Shit, where's my cell?" He scrambled to find his phone.

"No…no time for the phone," Sydney said, her face all scrunched up now.

Adrian turned around to look at her. "What do you mean no time for the phone?" he asked.

"The baby is coming…now," Sydney said through gritted teeth.

"Wait…just let me call the doctor…or Eddie…he's good with this baby stuff," Adrian said.

"Building a crib isn't the same thing!" Sydney insisted. Adrian wavered a little bit. "No! You cannot pass out now. You wanted to prove to me you could take care of us…deliver this baby," she instructed him.

xxx

"And then you slipped right into my arms…I know…it's pretty crazy, huh?" Adrian explained to the little bundle of boy in his arms.

Sydney chuckled and rubbed her eyes. "I don't recall the process being quite as smooth as you described," she told her husband.

"Aaron…the first thing you need to know is that your mother is always right," he explained to the baby. "And in the cases she isn't we still let her think she is."

"Sorry, we weren't here sooner," Jill said as she and Eddie walked into the hospital room together. "We left the second Adrian texted, but traffic was like…ahh. Oh my god…let me hold him," she said and reached with grabby hands.

"Where were you?" Sydney asked curiously as Adrian slid Aaron into her arms.

Jill smiled and looked over at Eddie. "Tell them," she prompted the guardian.

"We were getting married," Eddie replied, as if he was talking about something as simple as the weather.

"Wait…what?" Sydney asked in confusion. She looked at Eddie and Jill's left hands and saw matching rings.

"I had been planning a big proposal the whole time…I even got Lissa's blessing…and when Jill beat me to the punch I kind of panicked," Eddie replied.

"My bad…" Jill said sheepishly.

"Anyway we decided just to go for it…we had waited long enough," Eddie said with a smile.

Tears were slipping down Sydney's cheeks as they told the story. "Don't mind me…everything makes me cry," she said.

"We're really happy for you guys," Adrian echoed.

"Now that we got the marriage part out of the way…I want one of these," Jill said to Eddie as she held up Aaron.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Eddie groaned.

"Hello," Mr. Ivashkov said as he walked into the room. "Am interrupting?"

"If you're here to serve us with some kind of court order…" Adrian warned him.

Mr. Ivashkov held up his hands. "I have no agenda. I just wanted to meet the baby," he said.

Adrian looked at Sydney and she nodded her head. Jill stood up and passed the baby into his arms.

"What's his name?" Mr. Ivashkov asked as he looked down at him.

"Aaron," Sydney replied.

"Hi there, Aaron," Mr. Ivashkov said softly.

Adrian swallowed. "Dad, umm…thank you for all your help with…everything," he said to him.

Mr. Ivashkov nodded his head. "It was nothing," he said as he continued to stare at Aaron. "He's part of the family…and we take care of our own."

"Is this really happening?" Adrian whispered to Sydney.

"It's been quite a day, huh?" she replied with a smile.

xxx

"Babe, you have to come to bed," Sydney whispered as she walked into the nursery. "We have to sleep while he sleeps otherwise we'll never get any rest."

"I know," Adrian said, making no attempt to move.

Sydney chuckled and cuddled up next to him. "Yeah, I know the feeling," she said.

Adrian kissed the top of her head. "We did good, huh, Sage?" he said softly. "Especially from where we started."

"I can't imagine life without him," Sydney agreed. "Hey, you know…I was reading …"

"Sydney," Adrian warned her.


End file.
